You don’t know anything about the Entity Framework or didn’t get around installing it on your box and pour the Northwind data onto a screen? This book could give you a great jumpstart into the Entity Framework. There are a lot of Entity Framework books coming your way, so why should you buy a copy of the Entity Framework Tutorial by Joydip Kanjilal? Packt was so kind to send me a copy, but you can always try to get a free copy as a blogger, reviewer or educator. Otherwise I can definitely advise you to get the ebook and use it to inspire your colleagues.

I fully agree with Tim Mallalieu to recommend LINQ to Entities as the data access solution for your application. Sure, for an object-oriented view of the database LINQ to SQL was somewhat useful but in essence this is a scenario that the Entity Framework supports as well. Yes, in some ways the Entity Framework does add a bit of complexity but then again creating a direct mapping with the Entity Framework isn't much more difficult then it would be with LINQ to SQL. Apart from the fact that Microsoft shouldn't have released LINQ to SQL as a product I was quit surprised about the wave of people adopting this piece of technology. A tool for direct mappings misused as an object-relational mapper felt awkward from the start. I hoped for a little while that LINQ to SQL would evolve in a fully fledged object-relational mapper, but the Entity Framework with it's EDM investment had more potential from the start.

On the way back to our hotel yesterday a college mentioned the PDC will be held again in 2009, also in November. Earlier on that day it confused me to hear the Olso folks mention they would show more cool stuff next year at PDC. Anyway, I think PDC should be somewhat exclusive and focus on the big picture and future of new Microsoft technology/products. The only question I have at the moment is, why? Why not delay another year, why not keep something for under the belt.